Sean O’Malley has been all over the news ever since the news surfaced that he’s set to take on former bantamweight champion Petr Yan. O’Malley has been having trouble dealing with skilled opponents and had basically made his career off the backs of UFC rejects.
Even though O’Malley is a clear entry point for the fans of younger generations, he’s struggled to match up with more skilled opponents. Chito Vera notably destroyed O’Malley with calf kicks to the point where O’Malley was sure his drop foot was actually a broken foot. Not to mention that O’Malley recently couldn’t answer the 40 leg kicks Munhoz threw at him in a single round.
So naturally O’Malley went on MMA Hour to promote the clash with Petr Yan. During the entirety of his appearance, a man can be seen standing still in the background behind Sean – presumably a body guard. This led to a particularly funny exchange:
In the interview O’Malley went on to reveal he doesn’t employ a manager. This is particularly jarring considering his potential thanks to his fanbase. O’Malley went on to claim he’s using UFC as a platform to sell more merch as opposed to a paycheck.
Jared Cannonier previously debunked a common myth about UFC Athlete pay:
“After this win, 60 percent of my money is already gone. ”
“Between the gym, between management, between taxes, on top of that I’ve got bills, credit cards, I got kids, I’ve got a house up in Alaska, I’ve got a house here, I’ve got car payments. That money goes. Money don’t last forever.””
O’Malley reiterated:
“I’d say I’m happy with where I’m at in the UFC, with how I’m being paid, how I’m being treated,” O’Malley began. “I’m definitely happy. It’s really been a perspective change in looking at the UFC as more of a platform for me to sell merch.”